Ire looked in the mirror, checking his canines. He was diligently filing them with a coping saw, but it felt like they were growing faster than before. Was it because he was eating well? Was it related to nutrition? It was annoying; should he just pull them out altogether? Eventually, his thoughts went that far.
He was running his tongue over the canines he had just filed and was about to head out when Seo Young-jun, who had been waiting in the hallway, put his arm around Ire’s neck.
“Is that really you?”
“What?”
“The one who made Park Mu-jin’s face like that.”
“Who says?”
“That’s the rumor going around.”
Ire neither confirmed nor denied it. Park Mu-jin showed up the next day with gauze on his cheek. The Instructor in charge called him in to hear the whole story, but he didn’t reveal anything about what had happened that night.
In fact, Ire had been prepared to be punished. It would be even better if he got kicked out altogether. But thanks to Park Mu-jin keeping his mouth shut, the rumors only grew, and eventually, the story of what happened that day spread, and it seems the story that Ire did it came out.
“Sorry.”
Ire looked bewildered at Seo Young-jun’s sudden apology.
“I thought you were afraid of him. People see what they want to see, and since I was scared, I thought you were too. I underestimated you too much.”
Ire was so dumbfounded by the sincere apology that he laughed. Oh Nam-gi even joined in later, asking him to tell them the truth about that day, but Ire didn’t say anything.
However, Han-gyeol’s expression looked dark, and that bothered him. Should he ask about the two of them now? Would it be presumptuous to interfere? As he walked down the hallway, pondering, he saw people in white coats walking towards him in the distance.
“See those guys? They’re from the research lab.”
Seo Young-jun lowered his voice and pointed at them.
“Research lab?”
“The research lab is where they get the corpses for dissection that we see during our observation classes.”
Ire had also heard about the research lab when he was young. He heard that there was a place in District A that researched viruses, and that they conducted all sorts of experiments on the Infected. And that in order to conduct experiments, they would take perfectly healthy non-Infected people and use them. That was why people often disappeared from District B. There was no way to confirm if it was true.
As he was reminiscing about the past, he made eye contact with one of the researchers. It was a woman with her hair neatly tied back, and she stared at Ire for a long time. Feeling uneasy, he avoided her gaze and went into the lecture hall, where he happened to make eye contact with Park Mu-jin, who was nearby.
Park Mu-jin’s eyes were blazing. He must have known that his classmates were watching the two of them with great interest, and his pride must have been hurt because of it. He must be seething inside, having been beaten by a guy he looked down on. He had to be extra careful at times like this. Guys like that never ended well.
Soon after he sat down, the Professor in charge came in and briefly explained the lesson for the day. It was a process of directly observing through dissection how the Infected were different from ordinary people. Most of them couldn’t hide their excitement at the thought of seeing in person what they had only seen in pictures.
The black blinds were raised, and the scene of the autopsy room came into view. The lesson was also broadcast live on a large screen on the wall. Soon after, two people wearing surgical gowns, masks, and clear safety goggles entered the autopsy room.
Only their eyes were visible, but Ire thought he knew who he was. Before he could even guess why he was here, he heard murmuring from next to him.
“It’s Captain Kim Ha-yoon? Is he doing the autopsy himself?”
“He’s in charge of the research lab’s operations.”
“His mother was a doctor, I heard. She died in a lab fire a long time ago.”
“I know about it. It was a terrible accident.”
“It’s even scarier that a cold-blooded person is holding a scalpel.”
“Why? He’s so cool.”
Ire didn’t really want to know. As the autopsy began, he picked up a scalpel and cut the upper body of the Infected in a Y shape. He forcefully spread the skin and pulled out the organs one by one, while another researcher showed them so they could be seen clearly on the screen. The Professor’s explanation followed.
“As you can see, the hearts of the Infected are 1.5 times larger than those of ordinary people. In addition, they show excellent motor skills. In fact, a person who couldn’t walk due to a disability walked on his own after being Infected, and a patient who had been lying down all his life suddenly stood up. So, in the early days, there were some seriously ill patients who deliberately exposed themselves to the virus. Of course, their end was miserable.”
After the process of removing the organs was over, they examined the face this time. They cut the corners of the mouth to the side and opened the jaw, and the sharply shining canines came into view at a glance. Ire clenched his fist under the desk and clenched his molars tightly.
“Infection mainly occurs through wounds. They were left with only the instinct to bite and tear. The canines grow to about two finger joints in length, and their bite force is similar to that of felines such as leopards. They even have the habit of biting the neck to cut off the breath and tearing flesh to eat.”
Next, the eyeballs were removed. The dilated pupils were devoid of any vitality. Finally, the skull was cut with an electric saw. The sound of the saw blade turning, whirring, whirring, flowed out, and unknown liquids splattered on the safety goggles Kim Ha-yoon was wearing.
Seeing that, Ire barely managed to hold back the nausea that was rising up. Thinking about the man who had unhesitatingly cut open the abdomen and head, a chill ran down his spine belatedly.
“It looks like pudding my mom made. But that one looks more disgusting.”
“It probably tastes similar.”
“Shut up.”
Seo Young-jun and Oh Nam-gi, who were sitting next to him, muttered jokes that weren’t even funny, and the Professor’s explanation continued. After finishing the autopsy lesson, each group was given the opportunity to go inside and observe directly. Jokes were heard here and there.
“Does your dick get bigger when you get Infected?”
“What the, ah. You crazy bastard. Are you jealous?”
Unlike his classmates, who were examining in detail, Ire took a step back and kept averting his gaze elsewhere. Then, unable to bear it any longer, he came outside. As he took off his mask, someone came up to him and handed him a bottle of water. In addition, a fishy smell wafted to the tip of his nose. He raised his head and saw Kim Ha-yoon smiling brightly.
“Why are you out already? There’s still class left.”
“I don’t feel well….”
“Drink it. It’ll calm you down.”
Ire only accepted what he gave him and didn’t open the lid.
“You have a weaker stomach than I thought. I heard they even eat people in District B.”
“I haven’t eaten people yet. Maybe rabbits or snakes.”
Kim Ha-yoon frowned and smiled, as if he thought rabbits and snakes were more terrible than people. Ire couldn’t take his eyes off the red stains, whether blood or something else, that had splattered on the front of his gown. Thinking about the man who had unhesitatingly cut open the abdomen and head, a chill ran down his spine belatedly.
“What are you thinking so hard about? With me in front of you.”
Kim Ha-yoon’s face was right in front of him. Huh? The corners of his lips turned up as he asked. Instinctively, he stepped back, and someone approached Kim Ha-yoon from behind.
“Captain?”
The man with glasses had dark circles under his eyes. His eyes briefly looked at Ire before moving to Kim Ha-yoon.
“I’ll go to the lab first.”
“No. Let’s go together. I was about to go too.”
After a brief conversation, Kim Ha-yoon stared at Ire.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Me…?”
“Who else would I be curious about besides you?”
The nuance of his words was strange. Curious. Why? Ire didn’t like his attention, for whatever reason. He bit the inside of his cheek and made an awkward expression, trying not to show that he was nervous. Kim Ha-yoon was one step ahead of him as he was about to answer that he had plans.
“Shall we see each other? Tomorrow.”
“Me?”
“You’ve been making me say things twice since a while ago. Are you doing it on purpose to make me impatient?”
“……”
“See you tomorrow.”
Tomorrow was Saturday, and most people would be going home. Ire was planning to stay at the base, and he was planning to see Matteo on Sunday. But he knew that it wouldn’t be easy to visit without Kim Ha-yoon. He nodded belatedly, and his hand rose to shoulder height before going back down. It looked like he was going to touch his hair or face.
“Go in.”
He disappeared to the end of the hallway, and Ire let out a soft sigh. He pressed his tongue against his canines, feeling them itching, and the trainees came out one by one. But unlike before, some of them acted like they knew him. They were people who hadn’t even talked to him before, but they were especially friendly today. Ire knew that the reason for this was the rumors that had spread uncontrollably.